Once Upon A Time Lord: Book Three
by RetroWriter2012
Summary: Centering around the events of "The Day of the Doctor" and "The Time of the Doctor" for Doctor Who and focusing on Season Three of Once Upon A Time, the Doctor goes on his greatest adventure between Neverland and Trenzalore as he confronts the devious Peter Pan, saves his friends from Storybrooke, and faces the end of his regeneration cycle. Reviews are welcomed!
1. Distant Memories

**Prologue: Distant Memories**

It was a morning that was already off to a weird start for Emma Swan. It was supposed to have been the usual pleasant start of the day for her and Henry with a breakfast of pancakes and eggs, accompanied with hot chocolate drinks topped off with cinnamon – one special addition Henry had to remind her of. But then came the creepy guy with the hook for a hand and dressed like a lame pirate, thinking he could put the moves on her when she had no clue who the hell he was. Because of that bizarre encounter, Emma went from being relaxed to on edge the entire breakfast with her son – notable in the way she ate her pancakes and eggs.

"Mom? Are you alright?"

It was a question she did not at first hear but caught herself once she realized that her son was talking to her. "Huh? Oh. I'm fine. Just…had a restless night. That's all. Nothing a few more cups of hot coco can't fix."

Henry frowned over her excuse. "But you told me just a few minutes ago that you slept like a baby."

Emma swallowed her hot chocolate so hard that she nearly choked. "Did I? Well, uh…"

Before she could come up with a better excuse for the flimsy one she gave, there was another knock at the door. Although it was soft knocking compared to the pounding her "special visitor" gave as if he were the police, it still unnerved Emma. Henry looked to the door, baffled. "That's the second knock we've got this morning. Somebody _really_ needs to get that downstairs door closed."

"Just leave it." Emma suggested.

They tried to carry on with their breakfast like nothing was happening, but the knocking quickly became persistent enough for Emma to take action. Excusing herself from the table, she went to her purse on the counter and retrieved a small canister of mace that Henry was surprised to see she had.

He watched in concern as she briskly walked to the door, mace in hand, and answered it while shouting, "You think that knee-to-the-balls was bad, wait 'til you feel—" She stopped when she saw a young woman with tears _already_ in her eyes at her front door instead of the pirate from earlier. Emma recognized the woman no more than she recognized him, and she felt the need to ask her, "Who are _you_?"

The woman was surprised from her question. "Emma, it's me – Clara Oswald." Going by her accent, Emma recognized that she was obviously English. "We met not very long ago in Storybrooke."

Emma shook her head, clearly confused. "Sorry, but I've never heard of or been to a place called 'Storybrooke.' Maybe you have me confused for someone else."

"No!" Clara exclaimed. "I've met you there! You _must_ remember that!"

Emma shushed her, not wanting the neighbors to hear her shouting so hysterically. She could see how visibly shaken the young woman was and could not help but to feel a bit worried about her. "Hey, hey. Take it easy, O.K.? Come in."

Invited in, Clara walked right inside with Emma closing the door and locking it behind them. Seeing that they had a guest, Henry got up from the table and greeted Clara. "Hi," he said in a very friendly voice. "I'm Henry."

"Yeah, I know." Clara remarked.

Henry reacted in surprise to her remark. "You do?"

Clara frowned over his surprise in her knowing who he was.

"Henry," Emma approached her son. "Are you finished with your breakfast?"

"Yeah, Mom. It was good."

"Good." Emma said with a nod. "Then go get ready for school."

Henry glanced suspiciously between his mother and their guest before realizing that he had been given the signal to let them have some time alone – Emma failed to recognize the fact that it was Saturday (no school).

As soon as Henry left the room, Emma offered Clara to sit with her on the living room couch. "Alright, Clara. Let's talk about this. You're the second person this morning to come to my apartment, surprising me with something that I haven't a clue about."

"I am?" Clara reacted in wonder. "Who was the first?"

"Some…guy. It doesn't matter. Just tell me more about this place called Storybrooke."

Clara looked closely at the genuine mystification on her face whenever the name "Storybrooke" was brought up in conversation. It did not make any sense whatsoever to Clara. "How can you not remember any of what we been through there – even with the Doctor? Victorian England – us fighting Walter Simeon, the snowmen, and the Great Intelligence? Those spoon-headed robots in London _and_ in Storybrooke?"

"Hang on. Go back. Did you say…the Doctor? How do _you_ know the Doctor?"

There was finally some familiarity in Emma's demeanor, but it made Clara even more bemused. "You still remember the Doctor yet you _don't_ remember Storybrooke? How is it possible you can remember one but not the two together? You met the Doctor _through_ your time in Storybrooke."

"I met the Doctor through my time in the foster care system." Emma was quick to rebut. "I was only a kid then, and he might've been just part of my wild imagination, but the adventures we had seemed too real. He took me places and told me one day that all my childhood memories of him would help a very impossible girl." She saw Clara's face flare up when she uttered the words "impossible" and "girl." "You must be her."

Clara was stunned from all that Emma had told her. The Doctor practically changed Emma's history and met her as a child – but for what purpose?

"What is it that I need to help you with?" Emma asked.

Clara swallowed hard before answering: "The Doctor…h-he's dying on Trenzalore. We _need_ to change his future."


	2. Welcome to Neverland

**Chapter One: Welcome to Neverland**

One Year Earlier

As he looked upon the drawing of himself on the parchment Peter Pan had given him, Henry continued to question how his exact likeness could have been captured on it. The paper was ancient enough to prove to Henry that the drawing was done _long_ before he arrived in Neverland…or long before he was even born. Try as he might, he just could not figure out any way Pan would have known about him, except for the possibility of magic. Pan _did_ tell him that, when he opened the parchment, he would understand why he was so important to saving magic. But Henry knew that it had to be some sort of trick or game that Pan was playing on him – he was not entirely sure of which just yet.

From afar, Pan stood and watched Henry with a satisfied smile – the pieces of his plans with the boy falling right into place. Yet Pan knew there was still _much_ missing from his plan. There was one man, or _many_ men, who played more of an important role than Henry did. It only mattered to Pan at that moment whether or not the bait he had setup would be taken.

At the corner of his eye, Pan saw his most loyal and trustworthy follower, Felix, arrive at the camp to the attention of every Lost Boy there, and Henry as well. Felix did not arrive alone; with him were two captives he escorted to the base. The prisoners were both tied up at the wrists with burlap sacks over their heads. Seeing the prisoners, Henry noticed how one had the figure of a tall, slender man, wearing a brown suit with blue pinstripes, while the other had the figure of a woman of average height and build with blond hair peeking out from the sack, wearing a pink hoodie and black silk pants.

"We've found him," Felix told Pan, "or at least _one_ of him."

Realizing who one of his new "guests" was, Pan walked right up to the man in the pinstripe suit. "Hello, _Doctor_," he said upon removing the burlap sack from the man's head, revealing the face of a man with thick brown hair (that included sideburns), pale skin scattered with freckles, and large, dark brown eyes – features that certainly clarified Henry on the fact that this man was _not _the Doctor that _he_ knew. Of course, Henry _was_ aware of the Time Lord and his multiple lives through regeneration – something he learned through his travels with him; but he wondered which incarnation of the Doctor stood before Pan that very moment.

The Doctor, who was none too pleased with being tied up and taken as a prisoner, addressed Pan in a very challenging tone: "Who are you? Why have you taken us captive?"

"Oh, we haven't been _formally_ acquainted yet," Pan told him, "since you haven't reached the life where you've met me."

"Look, I am in no mood for games." The Doctor said, growing more serious and threatening. "I demand for you to release my companion. She has no part of whatever's going on here."

"And I would _really_ like to have this smelly old sack taken off, too – thank you," said the Doctor's companion, beneath her burlap sack.

Pan looked to Felix and gave a slight nod, which was the signal for him to remove the companion's sack. Felix followed his orders and removed the sack, revealing the face of a young blonde who looked to be twenty years old. The Doctor looked to the blonde and asked, "You alright, Rose?"

Rose, taking in the fresh air, responded, "Yeah, I am now that the funky old sack's off my head."

"Have his others arrived?" Pan questioned to Felix.

Felix shook his head. "Only him. No more."

Pan did not look very pleased to hear this.

"Others? What _others_?" The Doctor suspiciously asked.

"The signal I set up was supposed to have attracted _all_ of your lives, not just you." Pan said.

The Doctor's eyes grew wide. "Signal? That was you? How were _you_ able to set up a means of signaling the TARDIS from a primitive island like this?"

Pan smiled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a device that looked a lot like a sonic screwdriver to the Doctor – only it lacked resemblance to his own. Henry, on the other hand, knew it to be the sonic screwdriver to the Doctor _he_ knew, same design and everything. "It took a bit of tinkering around inside and a little bit of magic, but I was able to tap into the screwdriver's functions and use it as a beacon – something to help register with the TARDIS – and call to every single one of your lives here to Neverland."

It was the first Pan had made mention of the name of their location, surprising both Rose and the Doctor. Rose let out an amused chuckle as she looked upon Pan and the other boys around them. "Neverland? Now that is quite mental. That must make you lot…"

"Peter Pan and the Lost Boys." The Doctor finished her observation upon making the same one.

"How did we get to Neverland?" Rose asked. "We've been trying to return to a town in America called Storybrooke to help a little boy named Owen."

"Oh, _him_," Pan coldly said. "I'm afraid that you're a little too late to save _him_. That 'little boy' grew into an angry, vengeful man named Greg Mendell, who is no longer with us – due to unfortunate circumstances."

The Doctor grew even more suspicious of this Peter Pan, who was far different from the one he knew from books and movies, with his knowledge of things outside the realm of Neverland – including things pertaining to the Doctor himself. "Why are you so interested in bringing all of my lives to Neverland?"

"Because I'm fascinated by your regenerative energy, Doctor." Pan said. "It's a form of magic that greatly outweighs any found in Neverland or any other mythical place like it. I need you to help me through your power of regeneration, Doctor."

"And why would I do that?" The Doctor asked with more curiosity than suspicion.

Pan grinned, gazing over at Henry and pointing directly to him. "You see that boy over there?"

Both the Doctor and Rose looked over to Henry, who looked back at them, surprised when he discovered how the conversation shifted over to him. "Yeah," the Doctor said. "What about him?"

"He'll _convince_ you to help me." Pan assured.

"Him?" The Doctor said in amusement, his voice rising in pitch. "Why I don't even know him."

Pan's grin widened. "But you do, Doctor…or you _will_." He then looked to Felix and said, "Take the Doctor and his companion someplace safe."

Felix did as Pan wished and while the Doctor and Rose were escorted away, they made passing stares over to Henry, who continued looking back at them until they were out of his sight. Pan then approached and told him, "I know you can do it, Henry. You and him go way back."

"I don't know _that_ Doctor." Henry made clear. "But if _my_ Doctor comes to Neverland, I'm not too sure he'll be easy to convince."

"Oh, I'm sure he will, Henry." Pan said. "He knows just as I do how important you are to magic."

* * *

The rescue party for Henry consisted of Emma, David, Mary Margaret, Regina, and Hook – Gold had also been a part of it, but abandoned the group in favor of rescuing Henry on his own, believing Emma to fail by not believing enough in her parents or herself. But Emma proved the absent Gold wrong when she managed to rally her parents, Regina, and Hook all together, urging them to believe in each other for the sake of saving Henry.

They traversed through the Neverland jungles, avoiding the thorns laced with the "Dreamshade" position that Hook warned them in advance about. The idea was to find a place to make camp for the night, having made it their task to go around the treacherous Dark Jungle first thing in the morning. Both leading the way, Hook and David finally came upon a perfect clearing after half an hour.

"Over here." David called to the three women following behind. "This'll be a good spot to—"

David stopped as soon as he and Hook spotted the one thing in the clearing worthy of their attention. David's pause was a cause for concern for Emma and Mary Margaret, while it was that of aggravation for Regina. "To what? How hard is it just to say a few simple…?" Regina stopped herself once she caught up to them, seeing what they all saw at that point…

The TARDIS. It stood tall and proud in the midst of the clearing. It was lit from the inside, providing the one good source of light in the otherwise dim jungle. The sight of it surprised them all as they realized that the Doctor was in Neverland.

"He must've survived his ordeal with the Great Intelligence." Mary Margaret noted.

"How did he manage to find this place?" Emma curiously asked.

"When it comes to the Doctor, you can be certain of one thing: trouble always finds _him_." Hook told her.

Believing the Time Lord to be inside, they walked up to the TARDIS and got a closer look at it. Regina particularly noticed how tattered the blue box was, appearing in a brighter shade of the color with patches of gray in a few places. "This _thing_ looks like it'd been through a brick wall…or worse."

"As a matter of fact, it _did_. But I don't recall it being made of bricks."

Alerted by the voice that spoke from behind them, they quickly spun around with their weapons drawn – David, Emma, and Hook with their swords, Mary Margaret with her bow and arrow, and Regina with the ball of flame she conjured from her hand. Standing there in front of them all was an elderly man with deep silver hair slicked up in peaks at the top of his head and a full beard, dressed in a distressed leather overcoat, a frayed scarf knitted in a zigzag pattern, a Victorian-style waistcoat, aged trousers, a box-frame belt with several fastener pins and studded pinholes, combat boots adorned with weathered stirrups, and a bandolier across his left shoulder. His stature, albeit old and weary, was akin to that of a soldier – straight and formal.

While Emma, David, Mary Margaret, or Hook had no idea who the man was, Regina appeared to recognize him fully when she asked, "What are _you_ doing here? Better yet, _why_ are you here?"

"I'm looking for the Doctor." The elderly man answered her. "Are you his companions? They get younger all the time."

Noting Regina's familiarity with the man, David questioned to her, "Who is this man?"

Regina sighed. "This man _is_ the Doctor."


	3. The Little Mermaid

**Chapter Two: The Little Mermaid**

"We are _underwater_!"

"We are."

"_The TARDIS_ is underwater!"

"It is."

Clara Oswald stood by the open door to the TARDIS with a look of awe as she stared upon the subject of her amusement: the TARDIS was _way_ below sea level, sitting upon the ocean floor. Even though the door was wide open, the water somehow managed to stay outside, as if there was some kind of invisible wall holding it back. "How is it that none of the water is flooding the room with the door open?"

Sitting at one of the staircases leading to the console platform, the Doctor had been reading a book on quantum psychics while addressing Clara's many questions. "The TARDIS is being kept in a type of cocoon with a breathable atmosphere – like a bubble, only TARDIS-sized."

Even more impressed, Clara continued staring out past the door and observing the sea life passing by them. Some creatures swam close to the TARDIS, as if to wonder how the strange blue box got there. "Have you ever taken the TARDIS underwater before?"

"Well, of course I have! May I remind you of our incident with the Russian sub and the Ice Warrior?"

"That was _inside_ a submarine. What I mean is have you ever taken the TARDIS _itself_ under—" Clara stopped and gasped once something unexpected came into view outside – a redheaded mermaid with a sparkling teal-colored tail, smiling and waving at her. Alarmed, Clara shouted, "Doctor!"

For the first time since their conversation started, the Doctor looked up, saw the mermaid outside of the TARDIS, and was immediately overjoyed when he recognized her. "Ariel!"

"Ariel?" Clara remarked, still a bit shaky from the surprise. "Like in _The Little Mermaid_?"

"You know any _other_ mermaid by the name of Ariel?" The Doctor inquired while closing his book and rushing over to the TARDIS controls. "Shut the door, will you? I must let her inside without flooding the room."

Clara did as the Doctor instructed while the Doctor commenced in operating the TARDIS controls. She heard its familiar wheezing sounds as it materialized around Ariel, bringing the drenched mermaid right upon the console platform with her wet tail flapping against the floor.

"Welcome aboard!" The Doctor told Ariel with opened arms.

Clara, seeing that Ariel's mermaid form hindered her ability to move about inside the _dry_ atmosphere of the TARDIS, wondered aloud, "How will she be able to get around in here?"

The Doctor, giddy of the fact that Clara asked that, told Ariel, "Do the thing."

Ariel smiled and placed by a peculiar bracelet on her left wrist that transformed her mermaid tail into human legs right before Clara's eyes. "That _is_ impressive," said Clara.

The Doctor took Ariel by her hands and helped her to her feet. "So what brings you so close to the Maine coastline?"

Ariel seemed baffled from his question. "What's a 'Maine coastline'?"

Realizing how limited the mermaid's knowledge of things outside the sea – like coastlines and state names – was, the Doctor was left sheepish by his failure to take that into consideration. "Let me rephrase the question: why are you so far from home?"

"I swam all the way from Neverland to look for someone named Belle." Ariel told him.

"We know her." Clara said. "We've met her in Storybrooke."

"That's where I was told to find her." Ariel said.

"Told by whom?" The Doctor questioned.

"Rumplestiltskin."

The Doctor's ears perked on the name Ariel gave him. Tying it in with the name of the place that Ariel was sent from to find Belle, the Doctor grew heavily distressed. "Was there anyone else with him when you saw him?"

"Only Regina, the Evil Queen." Ariel responded.

This unsettled the Doctor even more as he wondered who else from Storybrooke had gone to Neverland in his and Clara's absence. "They're in terrible danger just being there."

Clara grew concerned from seeing how disconcerted he was. "What's in Neverland that's so dangerous to them?"

"Not a what, but a _who_ – Peter Pan," the Doctor told her.

Clara laughed almost instantly, believing the Doctor to be joking until she noticed that neither he nor Ariel was laughing with her. "You can't be serious. Peter Pan is a _good_ guy, the last time I checked."

"The _real_ Peter Pan is _nothing_ like the way he is in folklore." The Doctor said. "He is a twisted, sinister individual with limited immortality and a lust for power and control – and I think I just described the Master by accident."

Discovering just how much different Peter Pan was than she imagined, Clara went back to the topic of Ariel's mission. "So what exactly does Rumplestiltskin need from Belle?"

Ariel shrugged. "He didn't outright say, only that Belle will know what to do once I give her _this_." She showed them a sand dollar given to her by Rumplestiltskin.

The Doctor took the sand dollar and scanned it with his sonic screwdriver. "It's enchanted with a message."

Seeing how he was looking curiously at the enchanted sand dollar, Clara grinned amusingly. "You're not going to try and snoop in on someone else's mail, are you?"

"No." The Doctor quickly (and defensively) answered. "No, of course not. That would be…rude."

* * *

The TARDIS materialized outside Granny's Diner – the one spot in Storybrooke it had been used to materializing in since it first came upon the town. Its signature "wheezing" sound could be heard from blocks, drawing the attention of Belle, Granny, and Archie as they rushed out of the diner and towards the "magical" blue box that became a sign of hope to everyone in Storybrooke. The Doctor and Clara walked right out the moment they were greeted by Belle, Granny, and Archie with hugs and handshakes.

"Are you alright?" Belle asked the Doctor. "I heard that you went someplace called Trenzalore to die."

The Doctor gave a lighthearted chuckle, waving off her concern. "Rumors of my departure were greatly exaggerated. I merely went to confront an old enemy." Clara shot him an odd look from the casual way in which he referred to their deadly encounter on Trenzalore with the Great Intelligence and Whisper Men. "Anyways, I'm back! And so is Clara! And we're certainly glad to be, especially since we've brought a special friend who wants to see _you_, Belle."

"Me?" Belle reacted with surprise. "Who wants to see _me_?"

Ariel emerged from the TARDIS, catching the attention of Belle, Granny, and Archie. She walked right up to Belle and said, "Rumplestiltskin sent me to find you."

"Rumple?" Belle gasped in a near state of shock. "H-He's alive?"

"Yes." Ariel confirmed while handing the sand dollar over to her. "He wanted me to give you this."

Belle took the sand dollar, which she stared upon in confusion. She was still taking in the fact that Rumplestiltskin was still alive somewhere in Neverland. Noting this and that Ariel stood in the chilly winds with barely much on and still drenched with seawater, the Doctor felt the two girls needed time alone to discuss things somewhere warmer. "Perhaps, Belle, you could take Ariel to the pawnshop to suit her with some proper clothes," he suggested. "I fear she might catch her death standing out here in the open."

"O-Of course." Belle acknowledged, leading Ariel across the street to Gold's pawnshop.

As soon as the two were away, the Doctor turned his attention to Granny and Archie, cutting right to the chase and asking, "Who else other than Rumple and Regina is in Neverland and _why_ they are there?"

"It's for Henry." Archie answered. "Greg and Tamara kidnapped him and took him there, so a search party was formed."

"Who else was part of the search?" Clara asked.

"Regina, David, Mary Margaret, and Hook." Granny replied.

"Hook?" The Doctor was surprised and even slightly amused to hear the pirate's name come up in the list. "What ploy has _he_ in helping save Henry?"

Before anyone could make a guess, an odd whirring noise sounded from inside the TARDIS. Clara, hearing that noise for the first time, asked the Doctor, "What is that?"

"Oh, it's just the TARDIS being late in confirming that it's back on dry land." The Doctor nonchalantly indicated before using his sonic screwdriver to shut the noise off. "Now then, Clara, let's see what all the fuss with this sand dollar is about, shall we?"

He offered his arm to his companion and the two of them walked across the street to the pawnshop. However, as they had done so, the Doctor glanced back at the TARDIS apprehensively.


	4. Doctor Who?

**Chapter Three: Doctor Who?**

"For the last time, I _am_ the Doctor, but I am _not_ the Doctor."

"Yeah, mate, you've told us that," Hook said to the old man. "But it still doesn't make a bit of sense."

The old warrior endured an interrogation by the still-suspicious Emma, David, Mary Margaret, and Hook for several minutes. He could see they had become increasingly frustrated and got nowhere fast, so he tried again in giving them a thorough response that would ease their simple minds. "I chose not to be the Doctor due to the war. But I am a version of the Doctor that you all apparently know."

"So you're _the_ Doctor, but you're _not_ the Doctor." Mary Margaret said.

The warrior nodded with a smile. "Precisely."

Mary Margaret sighed, lightly touching her left temple – a headache developing. "I don't even know what I'm saying."

"Alright. Enough." A fed up Regina grumbled. "Let me put it in terms that even Snow White can keep up with: _this_ Doctor disowned the name of 'Doctor' and became more like a 'War Doctor,' if you will, for the battle that destroyed his people."

"_Will_ destroy – but I haven't done it yet," corrected the warrior, pointing to the burlap sack sitting at the foot of his TARDIS.

In seeing him refer to the burlap sack, Emma turned and curiously gazed upon it. She then went to it and started to uncover what was inside, much to the dismay of the warrior.

"Be careful!" He told her. "There's a highly delicate instrument of mass destruction in there!"

Becoming even more curious, Emma continued uncovering the item and revealed what looked to be a box full of gears to her, David, Mary Margaret, and Hook. "What the hell _is_ this?"

"It's what the Time Lords call the Moment – the most powerful and most dangerous weapon in all of creation." The warrior told them. "And I intend to use it to end this war from hell."

Gazing upon the Time Lord weapon, Emma reminisced: "The Doctor once told me about how he wiped out his own people and became the last of their kind. _This_ is what he – or you – did it with?"

"There's no alternative way for the war to end," the warrior somberly said. "It _must_ end. No more fighting. No more."

"You asked for the Doctor as if he – the other version of you – is here in Neverland with us." Mary Margaret indicated.

The warrior's tired old eyes grew wide. "Neverland? That's just a fairy tale. It doesn't exist."

Emma snickered. "Have _we_ got news for _you_." She then gestured to the others and made introductions: "Meet Snow White, Prince Charming, Captain Hook, and the Evil Queen."

"'Regina' will suffice." She said with a scowl.

The warrior looked upon the group with conflicted emotions. "I'm not sure if I should be incredibly fascinated by the prospect of living fairy tale characters or disgusted by the impossibility of it all!"

David, Mary Margaret, and Emma shared a chuckle over his comment. "Yep. He's definitely the Doc alright – whether he claims to be or not," said a satisfied Emma.

"Well, Doct—I mean, _sir_…we can help you find the Doctor if he's really here in Neverland." David offered. "But, for now, we're making camp for the night to continue our own search for Henry, a boy we're looking for, in the morning."

"That'd be perfectly fine with me." The warrior accepted. "It's not every day when I get help from Prince Charming and Snow White."

* * *

The warrior kept to himself in his TARDIS while everyone else slept outside in makeshift sleeping bags and tents later that night. He offered each of them places to sleep inside of the TARDIS, but they preferred to remain outside to be on the alert. In the midst of his work in the TARDIS, the warrior soon heard the sound of crying children. Attracted by the noise, he stepped out of the TARDIS and glanced around the area, yet he found no crying children nearby. He continued to hear them past the trees and made a lone trek through the jungle, being careful not to wake the others.

Halfway into the jungle, the crying ceased and the warrior stood in silence, pondering over the madness that was happening. It was then he felt as if he were being watched – a sensation all too familiar to him in all of his lives. Slowly, he turned and found a young boy standing across from him and leaning up against a tree with his arms folded. "If I'm in Neverland, then I would presume you're Peter Pan," the warrior deduced.

The boy smirked. "You've always been the clever one, Doctor."

"I am not…"

"Yes, I know. You're the Warrior. The one who ended the great battle that went on for centuries on Gallifrey, but to the sacrifice of your people and your world."

The warrior looked upon the boy suspiciously. "How do you know so much about me?"

"Oh, Doctor. The _real_ question you should ask yourself is how you've managed to come here to Neverland."

"I was just in the process of figuring out the calculations a while ago, but I've discovered no reasonable answers. Unless _you_ are the reason I'm here, since you _are_ the 'Peter Pan' of legend."

Pan grinned. "Legend? I like that." He then went straight to business: "I brought you here to help."

"I can help no one. I am on the brink of destroying millions of lives."

"Then surely _you_ can make up by saving one – Henry." He piqued the warrior's interest with the name, being the one he heard earlier in conversation with the search party. "Henry is a very important child. He's the key to saving countless worlds…possibly even Gallifrey."

Now the warrior became more intrigued. "Such a child isn't just 'important,' but extraordinarily powerful as well."

"Indeed he is. If he were ever caught in the wrong hands, he could be a danger to those he cares about."

"How and where will I be able to find this boy?"

"His mother – his _real_ mother – will know, using this."

Pan handed a large, ancient, folded parchment over to the warrior, who unfolded it to see that it was a map – or it was supposed to be but was not, due to one notable flaw. "It's blank."

"The only way for the map to be read is for Henry's mother, Emma, to stop denying who she is."

Following this instruction, the warrior curiously glanced at the blank map. "But how will I convince her to…?" When he looked up, Pan was gone, leaving the warrior to ponder all that Pan told him, especially the prospect of saving Gallifrey.

* * *

Music from Peter Pan's flute fueled the Lost Boys in their dance around the campfire. It was a moment of rejoice for them as they celebrated on behalf of Henry, the "savior of magic," as Pan called him. But, despite the celebration being for him, Henry saw no reason to celebrate – not with his family somewhere worried to death about him. He remained isolated from the other boys, sitting nearby upon a log and gazing at the dirt.

"Crazy bunch this is, eh?"

Henry looked up to see the Doctor – the one Pan brought to the campsite – standing over him. He sat right down next to Henry on the log, glancing at the joyful group of dancers near them.

"I was told you wanted to speak with me," he said to Henry.

Henry frowned. "I didn't…" His eyes looked past the Doctor and towards Pan, who had his own eyes fixed on them as he played his flute. He sighed and told the Doctor, "I think you've been lied to."

The Doctor smirked. "I figured that, which is why I went along with it. You must be _really_ worth the trouble for me to have been manipulated like that. Why are you so important to Pan?"

"He believes that I'm the one who's going to save magic."

Confusion came over the Doctor. "Well, that's strange. How can magic be 'saved'?"

"Pan told me how Neverland runs on the power of belief, but there's no longer any magic because the people in my world have stopped believing."

"What does one world's belief have to do with another's?"

"I have what Pan calls the 'Heart of the Truest Believer,' since – where I come from – I've believed in magic more than anyone else. It even helped break the curse that was put on Storybrooke."

The Doctor nodded, finally understanding when he heard the name of a place that he had been to before. "Storybrooke. Now it's starting to make sense."

"That's where I'm from."

"And it's where I've once been."

Henry gazed up and down at this Doctor, noting once again the difference in the way he dressed and looked from the Doctor _he_ knew. "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course. Tell me _everything_."

Henry seemed very hesitant at first but finally relented. "Well…the Doctor that I first met – the one who's after you – came to Storybrooke by accident a couple of years ago and has helped me and everyone else there so much that he's become more of a savior than either me or my mother, Emma. I could really use _that_ Doctor's help right now. No offense."

"None taken. I could use his help myself."

The conversation between the two was brought to an abrupt stop when they both, along with the other Lost Boys, suddenly fell asleep all at once. Henry and the Doctor fell from the log and collapsed with heavy thuds to the dirt. Their sudden drift into unconsciousness was not by their own accord but an outside force that infiltrated the camp for one purpose – Henry.


	5. Another Box, Another Big Red Button

**Chapter Four: Another Box, Another Big Red Button**

There was a multitude of things to catch anyone's eye in the pawn shop of Mr. Gold. Normally, when someone was caught browsing, they would find something they desired or something from their past – a trinket or an antique that beckoned to them, encouraging them to remember who they once were. Before the curse, many Storybrooke residents – the Doctor included – would stop by the shop and sometimes find an item so captivating that it reminded them on their old life in the Enchanted Forest. When he was John Smith, the Doctor found the TARDIS there and even departed Storybrooke from the shop in it. With Gold somewhere in Neverland, the Doctor and Clara were free to move all about in the shop and peep through Gold's inventory while Ariel and Belle were in the back, figuring out the sand dollar that Rumple had delivered.

In the midst of his browsing, the Doctor randomly passed by a glass case display, which was currently the home for a pristine fez. When he saw that it _was_ a fez, the Doctor grew an incredible urge – as he usually did when he was around such fabulous headwear. Almost immediately, he removed the glass case, removed the fez from its display, and placed it right on its head.

Once Clara had faced him, she saw him modeling off the fez for her. Snickering, she jokingly said, "Someday, you could just walk right past a fez."

"Never gonna happen." The Doctor remarked with a smile.

Clara giggled at him before she continued looking over Gold's collection. "He certainly has a lot of interesting stuff here. Some of it's pretty cool…" She picked up what appeared to be a "genie lamp" and wondered if it had any magic left it in; she got her answer after giving it a quick rub and seeing nothing happen. "…and some of it's a bit useless."

"He's certainly the collector, that's for sure." The Doctor said.

Clara nodded in agreement. "How did he manage to get so much?"

"Remember, Gold used to be Rumplestiltskin. He made a lot of deals in his time in the Enchanted Forest. Most of what you see here once belonged to many of the residents in this town."

"Did he ever once take anything from you for a deal?"

"The TARDIS," he then somberly added, "just once. It's always been the one valuable I own that he wanted for himself. But I don't exactly recall ever striking a deal with Rumple for it. It just happened to have been here one day. I'd guess it was River – she's spent some time here in Storybrooke as well."

Clara was amused from this fact, having met "Professor Song" herself on Trenzalore (albeit in "ghost form"). Before she could ask about River's history in the enchanted town, Ariel appeared from the backroom and beckoned, "Doctor. We can use your help." She then looked at him strangely. "What's that on your head?"

"It's a fez." The Doctor excitedly answered.

Still funnily gawking at him, she asked, "What's a fez?"

"He'll explain later." Clara said, sensing a prolonged conversation that would certainly take away their focus.

Together, the three of them headed into the backroom. As soon as they arrived, Belle alerted the Doctor on the situation with the sand dollar. Filled with excitement, she told him the instant he appeared, "It's a message! Rumple sent me a message from Neverland. He wants me to find something that will help defeat Pan. What we're looking for is somewhere in this room."

"Not to worry. You came to the right man, because I have the perfect detector for finding things to defeat enemies." The Doctor then reached into his coat and pulled out his sonic screwdriver, which he went right to scanning the room with. He started from the shelves and worked his way from top to bottom, moving left to right through each portion of each shelf. He then came to a stop once he spotted something familiar. "I don't believe it!"

From the surprise in his voice, Belle grew concerned along with Clara and Ariel. "What? What is it, Doctor?"

He removed the item from the shelf, showing it to them. "It's my recorder!" He grew very upset from finding the musical instrument there. "Gold _stole_ my recorder from _my_ TARDIS! That is the _last_ time I invite that man aboard!"

Clara sighed in vexation, seeing how distracted he was. "Doctor? Time and place?"

Still upset, the Doctor threw the recorder back to where he found it and continued scanning. While he had done so, Ariel leaned towards Clara and whispered, "What's a recorder?"

"It's a flute." She answered.

"Oh." Ariel uttered. "Then why couldn't he just call it _that_?"

Belle, Clara, and Ariel collectively decided to assist in the Doctor's search, in order to maintain focus. As they looked, Ariel came upon a button. Noticing her with it, Clara said, "And that'd be a button – also not what we're looking for."

"No, I know." Ariel said. "But Eric…he had one just like it on his jacket when I rescued him."

"And Eric is…?" Belle wondered aloud.

"He's a prince – the kind with legs." Ariel clarified. "I fell in love with him a long time ago, but…it didn't work out."

"Because you were a mermaid?" Clara inquired.

Sorrowfully, Ariel responded, "Something like that."

Clara could see the sadness in Ariel's face; there was some other cause in the failed relationship. She did not have the time to question much on it with time being of the essence – something that the Doctor (a _Time_ Lord) failed to realize. She caught him again lost in another item on the shelves, only standing there and staring right at it.

"Doctor." She called to him, but he did not seem to budge. "We can't waste any time on useless antiques." He remained unresponsive to her address, drawing some genuine concern over her. She moved to his side and saw how there was confusion and anxiety on his face. "Doctor? What's wrong?"

"Where did Rumple get this?" He whispered.

Clara followed his line of sight to see a small glass object, having no idea what it was until she asked him, "What is it?"

"It's a stasis cube." The Doctor said.

Hearing his answer, Ariel curiously asked, "What's a…stasis cube?"

"It's a form of Time Lord art found on Gallifrey – a little silver of time held in perfect stasis in a frame." The Doctor explained. "It gives the form of a 3D-type of painting."

"How in the hell was Gold able to get something like this from Gallifrey?" Clara asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't know. But it is _highly_ dangerous in the wrong hands – and that includes Rumplestiltskin's." On this, he removed the stasis cube from the shelf.

"You say it's dangerous." Belle remarked. "Would it be dangerous enough to work as a weapon against Peter Pan?"

"No!" The Doctor exclaimed in an abrupt, stern reply, practically making Belle, Ariel, and Clara jump from his tone. "I mean…yes…it'd be dangerous even to Pan. But we are _not_ using it as a weapon against him. Is that understood?"

They quickly nodded their heads, unsure of why the Doctor was so protective over the Gallifreyan device but opting not to question it. After a long awkward pause, the Doctor continued scanning the room. He suddenly received something from a cabinet and opened it up, fixating his sonic screwdriver on a saucer. "I'm detecting a lot from _this_. It appears to be enchanted with some heavy magic."

Belle recognized the saucer as being the one for the chipped teacup that was currently sitting on a nearby worktable. The teacup had been a symbol of the love between her and Rumplestiltskin for so long, but only at that moment did she realize – from the Doctor's discovery of the saucer's enchantment – what else it was. Walking over to the cabinet with the teacup in hand, she placed it on the saucer. What followed next surprised everyone, especially the Doctor: a stream of golden sparkles flowed from the saucer to a part of the floor that revealed the door to a secret compartment.

"Clever magic," said the Doctor, with a smile. He opened the compartment and retrieved from it a small box with an ancient, almost medieval type of design. There was one notable feature of it that brought admiration upon the Doctor: "It even has a big red button!"

"Well, what is _it_?" Clara asked.

"This is Pandora's Box – not to be confused with the Pandorica, which is _much_ bigger and a little similar to this." The Doctor divulged. "It supposed to contain the world's darkest evil."

Between this foreboding description and the fact that the Doctor was holding the box, Ariel asked with concern, "Shouldn't you be wearing gloves or something?"

The Doctor confidently smiled. "Oh, it's harmless." He offhandedly tossed the box a couple of times, scaring the wits out of Ariel, Belle, and Clara. "Well, when it's closed, that is."

"I'm just thankful we've found the one thing to defeat Pan…and save Rumple," said an elated Belle.

The sudden sound of guns clicking brought their attention away from the box and to two men who had arrived undetected and aimed their guns straight at them. "Hello, Doctor," one of them – wearing glasses – addressed with a noticeable British accent.

The Doctor looked closely at the men and had no recollection of ever meeting them. "Who are you?"

"People who are trying awfully hard not to kill you over a box."


	6. Contingency Plan

**Chapter Five: Contingency Plan**

Emma could hardly focus from the whirring noise made by the Sonic Screwdriver of the "War Doctor" (the name she dubbed herself for him) as he hovered it over the blank map given to him by Pan. But it was the message he sent to Emma _with_ the map that aggravated her more: _The only way for the map to be read is for Emma to stop denying who she is_. The chatter between Hook and Regina did not help much with her focus either.

"He so likes his games." Hook said.

"What game?" Regina reacted in frustration. "There's nothing there."

"If he said there's a map on this parchment, then there is."

Emma sighed, feeling a headache coming from this annoying puzzle. "Great. So if I just stop denying who I really am, whatever that means, then we'll be able to read this thing."

"It could be a trap." The War Doctor voiced his thoughts.

"This whole bloody island's his trap, mate." Hook rebuffed.

There was movement in the foliage nearby as David and Mary Margaret returned from their search for Pan. As soon as the War Doctor returned from his conversation with the Neverland legend, the couple immediately went out to search. "There's no sign of him anywhere," David informed as they arrived.

"Any luck with the map?" Mary Margaret asked.

The War Doctor had finished his scan just as Mary Margaret posed her question, shaking his head adversely. "I can find nothing from this. Not even a hint of whatever 'trick ink' he used to make it _look_ blank."

"We're wasting our time." Regina said. "Every second we spend talking about this is another second we're not looking for my son."

"You got a better idea?" Emma queried.

As if she were ready for someone to ask, Regina instantly replied with one word: "Magic."

This perturbed David and Mary Margaret, who grew tense just from hearing the word escape Regina's mouth. The War Doctor, still getting used to the uncanniness of the new world around him, had a different opinion on the matter. "I think it'd be logical to try." All eyes – even Regina's – looked to him in surprise. Seeing their reactions, the War Doctor added on to his statement: "Well, the map _is_ a form of magic, is it not?"

"Exactly." Regina said, almost smiling from the War Doctor's agreeing with her. "If there's a lock on there, I'll find a way around it."

She went for the map, only to have it rejected from her by Emma, who slammed a hand right on the parchment. "Pan said it had to be me."

"I'd listen to Emma, love." Hook suggested. "Breaking Pan's rules would be unwise."

David moaned. "Sadly, I agree with the pirate."

Hook looked to him, smiling with amusement. "I'm winning you over. I can feel it." This remark of his only drew a scowl from David.

"And your magic doesn't exactly have a gentle touch, Regina." Mary Margaret indicated.

"Use it on the map, and it might blow up in all our faces." David added.

The War Doctor's bushy, grayed eyebrows rose over such a possibility. "Well, we certainly wouldn't want _that_ to happen, now would we?"

Regina glared at the man who was on her side for merely a few seconds. "It's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Well, I'm not." Emma said. "If I'm the one who's supposed to figure out this thing, I need to do what Pan said."

Clearly not happy with this decision, Regina groaned and walked off. "Great."

It was obvious to the War Doctor how Regina had such little faith in Emma; but it was also clear how little faith Emma had in herself. Sensing the conflict in her, he gave some words of wisdom: "If this _is_ a game Pan is playing, you have to see the outlook ahead before making your move."

Emma gave the old warrior a quizzical look. "What does _that_ mean?"

Mary Margaret smiled understandably. "I know what he means. You just have to see yourself winning this game to beat it."

Although her interpretation of his advice sounded just as profound to him, the War Doctor elaborated for his own benefit. "Actually, I spoke for the prospect of _both_ winning and losing. In either possibility, don't rule out a contingency plan."

Emma and Mary Margaret were surprised by this Doctor's bleak outlook on their situation. "No offense, W.D., but your pep talk kinda sucks."

"I'm sorry." He said. "I was simply applying your dilemma to my own."

With his head down, the War Doctor retreated into his TARDIS. Emma and Mary Margaret watched him leave, but their focus quickly shifted to the Moment, which still sat outside the TARDIS for reasons unexplainable to them – if it was such a weapon of mass destruction, why was he keeping it _out in the open_? With every passing moment, Emma and Mary Margaret grew more curious about this Doctor and this war he was involved with.

* * *

While the others spent their time working out the map, the War Doctor spent his in the TARDIS by mostly staring at the console, lost in thought. Of course, he knew that he was not entirely alone with his thoughts. "She" was there – the voice that spoke outside of his mind.

_You're thinking about what he told you…about the boy…Henry._

"Could he really save Gallifrey? Could he really be the hope that they need right now?"

_He is very special._

"But I don't even know him."

_Do you have to know someone in order for them to be special? As many complete strangers as you've taken into your little blue box, since when have you put a stance on who's special or who's not?_

"I just don't think I can put much hope into one boy."

_One boy saving countless lives._

"It's impossible."

_Is it as "impossible" as one man destroying countless lives?_

"She" countered him on that notion, which he had not taken into consideration until "she" put it in his head. "She" seemed to know all the answers – this manifestation that referred to itself as "Bad Wolf." Whoever or whatever "she" was, "she" certainly made things much more difficult for him.

"Doctor!" He heard David excitedly call out to him a few times from outside.

He griped in annoyance over David's usage of the name he amenably disowned. "How many times do I have to tell them – I'm _not_ the Doctor!" He stepped out of the TARDIS as fast as could to see what the commotion was about. The first thing he saw upon his exit was the map, which was glowing and floating in the air. He looked on with amusement and said, "So you've decided to use magic after all?"

"_I_ decided for everyone, since Emma wasn't up to the task." Regina elucidated.

"Hey, I tried my best, alright?" Emma retorted.

"And your best wasn't good enough, which is why we're trying things _my_ way." Regina remarked. She then refocused on the War Doctor and added, "You had the right idea about a contingency plan. This locator spell will surely advance our search for Pan and my son."

A grin crept across his face as he continued staring upon the floating, glowing parchment. "Well, I didn't exactly have magic in mind when I brought it up."

"So it appears we will be venturing into the Dark Jungle after all." Hook said.

"You mean the place you told us never to set foot?" Emma asked.

Hook nodded. "That's the one."

"Well, Emma," Regina uttered, "you said you wanted to be the leader. Lead."

* * *

Emma did as Regina suggested and lead the group through the Dark Jungle, following in the path that the enchanted parchment had taken them. While she and Regina kept herself in front of the group, the War Doctor brought up the rear. _These young people and their fresh set of legs make walking quite a challenge_, he thought as he tried to keep up with their pace. They were all clearly on a mission to rescue Henry, making haste.

At one point in their trek, the floating parchment stopped, hovering in one spot. "Wait," Regina said in reaction to their sudden stopping place. "He's there. Pan. I can feel his smugness."

Stepping up with his sword drawn, David asked the group, "Shall we? While we still have the element of surprise on our side?"

Both him and Regina leading the charge, the others followed with their weapons ready. Seeing them all prepared to go to war, the War Doctor felt like he was back on Gallifrey in the frontlines of battle. Whatever or whomever was waiting for them ahead, he was ready to take whatever action necessary.

He followed them as they moved slowly and cautiously down a hill. None of them could see anyone within the proximity of the area. "No one's here," Mary Margaret made known. "Maybe your spell's wrong, Regina."

"Yes. Blame _me_." Regina reacted in offense.

"Perhaps it's an ambush." The War Doctor presumed, speaking loud enough for any possible attackers hidden in sight to hear. "It'd be fruitless to pounce when we already see it coming."

In her aggravation with his loud voice, Regina shushed him. "Are you _trying_ to give us away?"

"I'm merely trying to—STOP!"

They all immediately stopped dead in their tracks as soon as they heard him give the command. Alarmed, with her sword held high, Emma asked, "What is it? What's wrong?" As her eyes searched for the danger, she caught something in the midst of the clearing they stumbled into that made her frown with confusion. "What the hell…?"

Seeing what she saw, Regina reacted the same way, only with fear added to the mix. "Oh, my god."

"What the bloody hell is _that_?" Hook saw it as well, just as David and Mary Margaret had after him.

Immense terror filled the War Doctor's eyes, as the menacing subject of everyone's surprise reflected in his pupils. "That, dear boy, is a Dalek."


End file.
